Eugénie Brazier, the first woman to be awarded three Michelin stars, is widely regarded the "mother of modern French cooking".
Born on 12 June 1895, Brazier opened her first restaurant in a former grocery store in Lyon at the age of 26 and soon built a reputation for simple, elegant food.
Her cooking at La Mere Brazier would attract celebrities like Marlene Dietrich and Charles de Gaulle but Brazier never wanted to be a "celebrity chef" unlike her male peers such as the "King of Cooks" Alexandre Dumaine.
Brazier's most famous dishes include "beautiful dawn lobster", featuring brandy and cream, and "poultry in half mourning', in which truffle slices are inserted between the meat and the skin before the bird is poached.
Here are five things you should know about Eugénie Brazier.
1. She turned down a French legion of honour
Brazier modestly claimed that the medal "should be given out for doing more important things than cooking well and doing the job as you're supposed to."
2. Her favourite ever meal was cooked by her mother
Orphaned at the age of ten, Brazier said she had "never eaten better" than a broth of leeks and vegetables cooked in milk and water, enriched with eggs, and poured over stale bread.
Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures 8 show all Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures 1/8 The 2017 New Yorker Festival - Anthony Bourdain Talks With Patrick Radden Keefe Getty 2/8 Anthony Bourdain with Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre in Channel 4's 'The Taste' Channel 4 Television 3/8 Anthony Bourdain winning Outstanding Informational Series Or Special at the 2016 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Getty 4/8 Bourdain's no-holds-barred account of life in American kitchens is both a memoir and an insider's guide to the tricks of the trade. 5/8 Chefs Anthony Bourdain (L) and Mario Batali take a selfie Chefs Anthony Bourdain (L) and Mario Batali take a selfie Getty 6/8 Bourdain and Danny Bowien at 'The Mind Of A Chef' Premiere Launch Party Getty 7/8 Anthony Bourdain atThe 53rd annual Clio Awards Anthony Bourdain ( Honorary Clio Award) The 53rd annual Clio Awards Alamy 8/8 Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose return for the follow up to their bestseller Get Jiro! Anthony Bourdain, and Joel Rose (Kill The Poor) return for the follow-up to their #1 New York Times bestseller Get Jiro! Alamy
3. She was the first person to hold six Michelin stars simultaneously
Brazier earned three stars at each of her two restaurants, one in Lyon and the other in a hunting camp in the Alpine foothills at Col de la Luere.
4. Paul Bocuse, one of the best known French chefs, was her student
Legend has it that Bocuse was first put to work ironing napkins.
He later described Brazier as a "tough and modest woman who knew instinctively how to select the best of us".
5. Her first and only recipe book was published posthumously
Brazier began work on the cookbook two years before she died in 1977 but never finished it and it was only printed with the help of her family in 2009.
Described as a "the mother of French cooking" and hailed for her fresh, simple cuisine, Eugenie Brazier would have been celebrating her birthday on June 12.
In her honour, Google is changing its logo in 11 countries to a doodle, or illustration, of her with a steam-clouded Doodle.
This is her story:
Orphan at an early age
Born in the Burgundian village of Bourg-en-Bresse in 1895 on a farm near Lyon, Brazier became an orphan at age 10.
Raised by impoverished peasants, Brazier began working in the fields at a very young age.
She attended school sporadically, but would define herself as someone "ready for anything that might challenge" her.
At the age of 19, she left for Lyon and got a job as a domestic before going to work in a restaurant. She started working for La Mere Fillioux, the celebrated provincial chef who employed only women.
At age 26, the cook opened first restaurant of her own, inspired by Mere Fillioux's simple menu.
The restaurant became a culinary destination, attracting French presidents and prime ministers as well as celebrities.
Michelin stars
In 1928, she opened Le Col de la Luere and her emphasis in simplicity led Michelin Guides, the oldest European hotel and restaurant reference guide, to give her restaurants the coveted three-star ranking as early as 1935.
This was the first time a woman would be recognised with the most stars simultaneously.
She was only 38 years old. However, Brazier did not consider herself a celebrity chef, "I have met and conversed with many intellectuals ... and I have always been mindful of who I am," she wrote.
The New York Times obituary, said she is remembered for turning down a citation for the French Legion of Honor, feeling, "it should be given out for doing more important things than cooking, and doing the job as you're supposed to."
In 1968, however, Michelin demoted her Le Col de la Luere restaurant to two stars, and Brazier retired four years later.
According to the New York times, Brazier's granddaughter, AnneMarie, said losing the Michelin star really hurt: "Truthfully, it hurt her a lot. The idea of celebrity didn't appeal to her a bit, but here was somebody saying her work was less well done. That was bad."
Google has celebrated what would’ve been the 123rd birthday of French chef Eugénie Brazier with a unique Google Doodle.
She is considered one of France’s finest chefs and is credited with turning the city of Lyon into the country’s culinary capital.
But just who was Eugénie Brazier? Here’s all you need to know about who she was and what a Google Doodle is.
Google's new Doodle recently marked what would've been Eugenie Brazier's 123rd birthday
Who was Eugénie Brazier?
Eugénie Brazier was a celebrated French chef notable for being the first woman to earn three Michelin stars back in 1933.
She was born on June 12, 1895 in La Tranclière, France. Following the death of her mother when she was just ten years old, Brazier relocated to a farmstead where she soon learned how to cook in the Bresse regional style. By age 20, she had already gained a positive reputation for her cooking skills at a Brasserie du Dragon in the city of Lyon, also taking on numerous apprentices.
Brazier later started her first restaurant called La Mère Brazier in 1921, which quickly drew critical acclaim that remains to this day.
She later obtained the coveted three-star Michelin rating and became known as the chef of choice for many of the France’s elite, including French military leader and President Charles de Gaulle. Brazier almost single-handedly revolutionized the cuisine of Lyon into becoming known as the finest in France and later a global phenomenon thanks to students like the late Paul Bocuse.
Brazier passed away on March 2, 1977, but not before radically transforming French cuisine and making a name for herself as one of the world’s most notable chefs.
At Bentley's on #iwd2018 we are raising a glass to La Mère Brazier, Eugénie Brazier, the first woman to earn 3 Michelin stars. Famous for many things, including her terrific seafood dish langouste belle aurore; a decadent whole lobster in brandy and cream. pic.twitter.com/KuhTCyWork — Bentley's Oyster Bar (@Bentleys_london) March 8, 2018
What is a Google Doodle?
Google Doodle’s are temporary changes to Google’s homepage logo to commemorate special events, holidays and people.
The first Google Doodle was created back in 1998 to mark the Burning Man festival. Initially designed by Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, they were later designed by a group of outside contractors until a special in-house team called Doodlers was established specifically to create Doodles on a regular basis.
Popular holidays such as Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day are typically marked with Google Doodles. In recent years, they’ve also appeared for events such as Pi Day, the Spring Equinox, the Commonwealth Games, St. George’s Day and more.
